Tennis star Sorana Cirstea immediately retires from the sport after upset loss at Hong Kong Open
Tennis star Sorana Cirstea lost 6-2, 6-3 to Alexandra Shubladze in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open on Friday night and shocked the tennis world by retiring from the sport immediately after the match.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Cirstea, 36, was the No.1 seed at the Hong Kong Open and the 15th-ranked player in the world.
She came into the season saying 2026 would be her final year on tour and decided to follow through with that plan after the upset loss.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGESorana Cirstea competes in the women's singles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Nov.6, 2026, in Hong Kong.
(Kobe Li/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)"Given how things ended here in Asia, with several early losses, I think the decision is pretty clear," Cirstea said in the press zone, according to Tennis Temple."I was running on empty, I had no energy left.It's been a long year.
I need to step back and process all of this before making a final announcement, which should come in a few weeks."Unlike many people who rage-quit their jobs because they are fed up, Cirstea was thriving.Her No.
15 ranking was the highest of her career.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!Sorana Cirstea of Romania and Alexandra Shubladze of Russia compete in the Women's Singles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Nov.
6, 2026, in Hong Kong.(Kobe Li/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)Cirstea became just the fourth woman age 36 or older to finish a season ranked among the world's top 16 in the last 40 years, joining Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.In May, Cirstea defeated then-No.
1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open and was already receiving pleas from fans to keep playing.OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE ...